Contactless data transfer systems and methods

ABSTRACT

Data may be transferred from a communication subsystem of a first device to a communication subsystem of a second device contactlessly, at high speed, and without intervention by host processors of either device. Devices may be programmed or personalized at the factory or warehouse, and may personalized at a warehouse or at a point of sale while in the box. Various modes of operation and use scenarios are described. Portions of the devices themselves, or a transmission path between the devices may be shielded against snooping by a material which degrades an EHF signal passing therethrough.

CROSS-REFERENCE(S) TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The following commonly-owned applications may be incorporated byreference herein.

Priority is claimed from U.S. 61/799,510 filed 15 Mar. 2013

Priority is claimed from U.S. 61/786,522 filed 15 Mar. 2013

Priority is claimed from U.S. 61/737,432 filed 14 Dec. 2012

This is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 13/760,089 filed 6 Feb. 2013,which claims priority from U.S. 61/661,756 filed 19 Jun. 2012

This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 13/427,576 filed 22 Mar.2012 (US 20120263244), which claims priority from U.S. 61/467,334 filed24 Mar. 2011,

This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 12/655,041 filed 21 Dec.2009 (US 20100159829), which claims priority from U.S. 61/203,702 filed23 Dec. 2008

This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 13/541,543 filed 3 Jul.2012 (US 20120295539)

This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 13/524,956 filed 15 Jun.2012 (US 20120319496), which claims priority from U.S. 61/497,192 filed15 Jun. 2011

This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 13/713,564 filed 13 Dec.2012, which claims priority from U.S. 61/570,707 filed 14 Dec. 2011

This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 13/776,727 filed 26 Feb.2013

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates broadly data transfer techniques, particularlyconnection-oriented techniques, and also relates to systemsincorporating said techniques.

BACKGROUND

It is often important to transfer data between electronic devices. Thedata may comprise a media file (such as an image file, an audio file, avideo file), DRM (digital rights management) protected content, an OS(operating system) update, customer specific code, OEM (originalequipment manufacturer) specific code, retail specific code, a firmwareimage for the destination device, user data, encryption/decryption keys(codes), electronic funds transfer (EFT) data, static data and the like.The data may be transferred from a “source” (or sending) device such asa digital camera to a “destination” (or receiving) device such as alaptop. In some cases, data may also be transferred in the reversedirection, with the “destination” device serving as the source of thedata, and the “source” device serving as the destination for the data.The transfer of data may occur via a communications link such as acabled connection (such as USB), or via a wireless connection (such asBluetooth). In the case of DRM or other access-controlled content,separate authorization (codes) may be required for using the data on thedestination device.

Some examples of electronic devices which may be involved in thetransfer of data include cellphones (or handsets, or smart phones),computers, laptops, tablets, or comparable electronic device Suchelectronic devices typically include a “host processor” (ormicroprocessor or simply “processor”, or microcontroller, or “μC”), andresources (memory or storage) for storing data (any of which may bereferred to simply as “storage”).

In the main hereinafter, point-to-point connection-oriented techniquesfor data transfer between two electronic devices will be discussed.Generally, in order for the data transfer (which may be referred to as“uploading” or “downloading”) to occur, both devices need to havecompatible software installed so that they can have access to oneanother. During the data transfer, the devices need to be turned ON(operating), consequently system resources are consumed and forbattery-operated devices, remaining (available) battery powerdiminishes.

An illustrative example of a point-to-point, connection-orientedcommunications link for transferring data between electronic devices isNear Field Communication (NFC). NFC implements a set of standards forsmartphones and similar devices to establish radio frequency (RF)communication with each other by touching (“bumping”) them together orbringing them into close proximity with one another. Present andanticipated applications include contactless transactions, dataexchange, and simplified setup of more complex communications such asWi-Fi. Communication is also possible between an NFC-enabled device andan unpowered NFC chip, called a “tag”, which may harvest its operatingpower from the NFC-enabled device.

When transferring data between electronic devices, it is generallynecessary that the devices' host processor(s) become involved and thatdata is transferred under its direction and control. When a dataconnection is made, the host processor is typically notified, then mayauthenticate the connection, and if there is a data transfer to be made,the host processor allocates memory for the data (or identifies the datathat will be transferred) and then directs the action. At the end of thetransfer, the host processor then validates the transaction. Thisprocess requires that the host processor be aware of and direct thetransaction. This method of transferring data between electronic devicesmay create a number of problems, such as:

-   -   the host processor must be ON (powered up) for the data transfer        to take place;    -   the host processor must be configured for the data transfer to        take place;    -   the overall system power consumption is higher than if the host        processor were not involved;    -   the data may be malicious code and may cause problems if being        handled by the host processor    -   the transfer time for the data, using NFC or other existing        wireless technologies, may be very long

SUMMARY

It is a general object of the invention to provide improved techniquesfor transferring data between electronic devices.

According to the invention, generally, electronic devices (or simply“devices”) may comprise a host system and an I/O (input/output) orcommunication subsystem. The host system may comprise a host processorand “primary” storage. The I/O subsystem may comprise a controller,“exchange” storage, and an RF (radio frequency) portion comprising atleast one of a transmitter (Tx) or receiver (Rx), or at least onetransceiver (Tx/Rx). The host processor may function as thecommunication subsystem controller. The primary and exchange storagesmay be different portions of one storage.

Data transfers between electronic devices may be implemented over a“contactless” radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic (EM) Extremely HighFrequency (EHF) communications link (interface), which is handledsubstantially entirely by the communication subsystems of the devicesinvolved in the data transfer.

Data to be transferred may be stored (temporarily) in an “exchange”storage of (or associated with) the communication subsystem of a source(sending) device, awaiting detection (by the source device) of adestination (receiving) device. The host system of the sending devicemay be OFF, or in a low-power mode. Upon detection of a destinationdevice, a communications link may be established and the data may betransferred to an “exchange” storage of the communication subsystem ofthe destination (receiving) device where it may be stored (temporarily).The host system of the receiving device may be OFF, or in a low-powermode. Data in the exchange storages of the sending and receiving devicesmay be firewalled, to protect the host system from malicious code in thedata being transferred. The communication subsystem of the receivingdevice may notify the host system of the receiving device (and may alsonotify the communication subsystem of the sending device) when the datatransfer operation is complete. When the receiving device is turned ON,data from its “exchange” storage may be moved (or copied) to its primarystorage. Data may be also transferred in a similar manner from thereceiving device to the sending device.

According to some embodiments of the invention, a system and methods fordata transfer may comprise devices having communication subsystems forestablishing a “contactless” radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic (EM)Extremely High Frequency (EHF) communications link (interface), which ishandled substantially entirely by the communication subsystems of thedevices involved in the data transfer. Various modes of data transferand use scenarios are described.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a method of transferringdata between electronic devices may comprise: providing a first devicewith a first communication subsystem capable of communicatingcontactlessly over an extremely high frequency (EHF) contactless linkwith a second device having a second communication subsystem capable ofcommunicating over the contactless link; and sending data from the firstdevice to the second device; characterized by: receiving the data at thesecond device into an exchange storage associated with the secondcommunication subsystem, without requiring intervention from a hostprocessor in the second device. The exchange storage may be separatefrom a primary storage in the second device, and the received data maybe transferred from the exchange storage to the primary storage. Thehost processor may be notified upon completion of the data transfer. Thedata may be validated by the communication subsystem or at the hostprocessor. The data being transferred may be selected from the groupconsisting of a media file, DRM protected content, an OS update,customer specific code, OEM specific code, retail specific code, afirmware image for the second device, user data, encryption/decryptionkeys, and electronic funds transfer (EFT) data.

The second device may be enclosed inside of packaging, and thecontactless communication between the first and second devices mayoccurs through the packaging. A dielectric coupler may facilitate thecontactless link between the first and second devices, and may beincorporated into the packaging, or may extend from at least one of thefirst and second devices.

Various anti-snooping techniques are described for providing “technical”and “physical” protection(s) against snooping of data being transferred,such as pausing transmissions from one device and transmitting skipfills from the other device, transmitting from both devices at the sametime, covering at least one of portions (Tx/Rx) of the devices or atransmission path between the devices with a material selected for itsability to degrade an EHF signal passing through the material.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a method of transferringdata contactlessly over an extremely high frequency (EHF) contactlesslink between a first device and a second device may comprise one or moreof: factory programming the second device, by at least one oftransferring data comprising an operating system or firmware to thesecond device, and performing a quality assurance check on the seconddevice; warehouse programming the second device, by at least one oftransferring data comprising an operating system or firmware to thesecond device, performing a quality assurance check on the second deviceand personalizing the second device for a point of sale (POS); point ofsale programming the second device, by at least one of transferring datacomprising an operating system or firmware to the second device,performing a quality assurance check on the second device, personalizingthe second device for a point of sale (POS), and personalizing thesecond device for a given customer; and kiosk transferring data to thesecond device, wherein data selected by a user or associated with anevent is transferred into the second device.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a method of transferringdata contactlessly over an extremely high frequency (EHF) contactlesslink between a first device and a second device may comprise one or moreof communicating permissions and preferences between a user and a sharedsystem; and sharing data, including interactively, between two devices.Transferring data may comprise: at the first device, identifying data tobe transferred; at the first device, transmitting a beacon to discoverthe second device; at the second device, detecting and optionallyresponding to the beacon; setting up and commencing the data transfer;initiating the data transfer automatically or on request; and optionallynotifying the first device upon successful transfer of the data. Thefirst device may broadcast the data to be transferred, and a data streamfor the data being transferred may be indexed. The second device maycommence receiving the data stream at an intermediate point, and thefirst device may restart transmission of the data stream after it hasfinished.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a system may be implementedfor transferring data between a first device and a second device,through an EHF carrier, through at least one dielectric medium, betweencommunication subsystems that operate independently of host controllerswithin each device.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a method of protectingagainst snooping of data being transferred contactlessly between twoelectronic devices may comprise one or more of: shielding at least atransmission path between the two electronic devices; and shielding atleast a transceiver (Tx/Rx) of at least one of the electronic devices.The shielding may comprise covering at least a portion of thetransmission path or the transceiver with a material selected for itsability to degrade an extremely high frequency (EHF) signal passingthrough the material.

Some benefits or advantages of the techniques disclosed herein mayinclude one or more of the following:

-   -   no physical connection (such as a cable and connectors) is        needed between the two devices involved in the data transfer    -   the host processor need not be ON for the data transfer to take        place    -   the host processor need not be configured for the data transfer        to take place    -   the overall power required by the devices may be significantly        reduced    -   problems associated with the transfer of malicious code may be        avoided    -   the transfer time for the data may be substantially reduced, in        contrast with some previous data transfer techniques

The invention(s) described herein may relate to industrial andcommercial industries, such as electronics and communications industriesusing devices that communicate with other devices or devices havingcommunication between components in the devices.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention(s) disclosedherein may become apparent in light of the following illustrations anddescriptions thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will be made in detail to embodiments of the disclosure,non-limiting examples of which may be illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing figures (FIGs). The figures may be in the form of diagrams. Someelements in the figures may be exaggerated or drawn not-to-scale; othersmay be omitted, for illustrative clarity. Any text (legends, notes,reference numerals and the like) appearing on the drawings areincorporated by reference herein. When terms such as “left” and “right”,“top” and “bottom”, “upper” and “lower”, “inner” and “outer”, or similarterms are used in the description, they may be used to guide the readerto orientations of elements in the figures, but should be understood notto limit the apparatus being described to any particular configurationor orientation, unless otherwise specified or evident from context.Different “versions” of elements may be referenced by reference numeralshaving the same numbers (###) followed by a different letter suffix(such as “A”, “B”, “C”, or the like), in which case the similar elementsmay be inclusively referred to by the numeric portion (###) only of thereference numeral.

FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C are diagrams illustrating an exemplary data transfersystem, and steps of an exemplary data transfer between two electronicdevices.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating some methods of operation for thedata transfer system and devices thereof.

FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C are diagrams of some use scenarios (deployments) fordevices using the data transfer techniques disclosed herein.

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4B are diagrams illustrating some techniques forshielding data transfer between two devices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments may be described to illustrate teachings of theinvention(s), and should be construed as illustrative rather thanlimiting. It should be understood that it is not intended to limit theinvention(s) to these particular embodiments. It should be understoodthat some individual features of various embodiments may be combined indifferent ways than shown, with one another.

The embodiments and aspects thereof may be described and illustrated inconjunction with systems, devices and methods which are meant to beexemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. Specificconfigurations and details may be set forth in order to provide anunderstanding of the invention(s). However, it should be apparent to oneskilled in the art that the invention(s) may be practiced without someof the specific details being presented herein. Furthermore, somewell-known steps or components may be described only generally, or evenomitted, for the sake of illustrative clarity.

Reference herein to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or similarformulations, may mean that a particular feature, structure, operation,or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment, isincluded in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, theappearances of such phrases or formulations herein are not necessarilyall referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, various particularfeatures, structures, operations, or characteristics may be combined inany suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

In the following descriptions, some specific details may be set forth inorder to provide an understanding of the invention(s) disclosed herein.It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that theseinvention(s) may be practiced without these specific details. Headings(typically underlined) may be provided as an aid to the reader, andshould not be construed as limiting.

Some Terminology

The following terms may be used in the descriptions set forth herein,and should be given their ordinary meanings unless otherwise explicitlystated or as may be evident from context.

The acronym “EHF” stands for Extremely High Frequency, and refers to aportion of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum in the range of 30 GHz to300 GHz (gigahertz).

The term “transceiver” (abbreviated “XCVR”, or “Tx/Rx”) may refer to adevice such as an IC (integrated circuit) including a transmitter (“Tx”)and a receiver (“Rx”) so that that the integrated circuit may be used toboth transmit and receive information (data). Generally, a transceivermay be operable in a half-duplex mode (alternating between transmittingand receiving), a full-duplex mode (transmitting and receivingsimultaneously), or configured as either a transmitter or a receiver. Atransceiver may include separate integrated circuits for the transmitand the receive functions.

The term “contactless”, as used herein, refers to implementingelectromagnetic (EM) rather than electrical (wired, contact-based)connections and transport of signals between entities (such as devices).In some of the literature, the term “wireless” is used to convey thismeaning. As used herein, the term “contactless” may refer to acarrier-assisted, dielectric coupling system which may have an optimalrange in the zero to five centimeter range. The connection may bevalidated by proximity of one device to a second device. Multiplecontactless transmitters and receivers may occupy a small volume ofspace. A contactless link established with electromagnetics (EM) may bepoint-to-point in contrast with a wireless link which typicallybroadcasts to several points.

The terms, chip, die, integrated circuit (IC), semiconductor device, andmicroelectronic device, are often used interchangeably, in common usage,and may be used interchangeably herein. This also may include bare chips(or dies), packaged chips (or dies), and chip modules and packages. Thetechniques disclosed herein may be implemented with integrated circuits(ICs) using standard CMOS (Complementary-Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor)processes. Some functions described as being implemented by chips may beimplemented as macro-functions incorporated into application specificintegrated circuits (ASICS) and the like, and may alternatively beimplemented, at least partially, by software running on amicrocontroller. With respect to chips, various signals may be coupledbetween them and other circuit elements via physical,electrically-conductive connections. Such a point of connection is maybe referred to as an input, output, input/output (I/O), terminal, line,pin, pad, port, interface, or similar variants and combinations.

Connector-Replacement Chips

US 20100159829 (the '829 publication), incorporated in its entirety byreference herein, discloses tightly-coupled near-fieldcommunication-link devices, referred to therein as“connector-replacement chips”. Tightly-coupled near-fieldtransmitter/receiver pairs are deployed such that the transmitter isdisposed at a terminal portion of a first conduction path, the receiveris disposed at a terminal portion of a second conduction path, thetransmitter and receiver are disposed in close proximity to each other,and the first conduction path and the second conduction path arediscontiguous with respect to each other. In this manner, methods andapparatus are provided for transferring data through a physicallydiscontiguous signal conduction path without the physical size andsignal degradation introduced by a signal-carrying mechanical connector,and associated cabling. The '829 publication references U.S. Pat. No.5,621,913 (Micron, 1997), which is also incorporated in its entirety byreference herein. The '829 publication shows (FIG. 12 therein) ahigh-level block diagram of the transmit path of a near-fieldtransmitter, and further shows (FIG. 13 therein) a high-level blockdiagram of the receive path of a near-field receiver.

US 20120263244 (the '244 publication), incorporated in its entirety byreference herein, discloses integrated circuit with electromagneticcommunication. A system for transmitting or receiving signals mayinclude an integrated circuit (IC), a transducer operatively coupled tothe IC for converting between electrical signals and electromagneticsignals; and insulating material that fixes the locations of thetransducer and IC in spaced relationship relative to each other. Thesystem may further include a lead frame providing external connectionsto conductors on the IC. An electromagnetic-energy directing assemblymay be mounted relative to the transducer for directing electromagneticenergy in a region including the transducer and in a direction away fromthe IC. The directing assembly may include the lead frame, a printedcircuit board ground plane, or external conductive elements spaced fromthe transducer. In a receiver, a signal-detector circuit may beresponsive to a monitor signal representative of a received firstradio-frequency electrical signal for generating a control signal thatenables or disables an output from the receiver.

U.S. Ser. No. 13/713,564, incorporated in its entirety by referenceherein, discloses connectors providing haptic feedback. As mentionedtherein, it is important to provide improved signal security andintegrity when communicating between any two EHF communication. Onemethod for enhancing or ensuring proper signal security and integrity isto verify that a second EHF communication unit is within a predeterminedrange before or during a communication attempt with a first EHFcommunication unit. To that end, systems and methods for detecting thepresence of the second EHF communication unit and/or for ensuringanother device or surface is within a certain distance may be included.Examples of such systems and methods are described in US 20120319496.

US 20120319496 (the '496 publication), incorporated in its entirety byreference herein, discloses a system for sensing proximity using EHFsignals may include a communication circuit configured to transmit via atransducer an EM signal at an EHF frequency, and a proximity sensingcircuit configured to sense a nearby transducer field-modifying objectby detecting characteristics of a signal within the communicationcircuit. Some exemplary proximity-sensing circuits are disclosedtherein, and the proximity of a nearby object may be detected by achange in the effective impedance of an antenna caused by the nearbyobject.

US 20120295539 (the '539 publication), incorporated in its entirety byreference herein, discloses EHF communication with electrical isolationand with dielectric transmission medium. A communication systemincluding two transceivers is disclosed therein. A transceiver operatingin a transmit mode may include an amplifier that receives a transmitbaseband signal and amplifies the signal for input to a modulator whichmay apply the baseband signal to an EHF carrier signal produced by anEHF oscillator to produce a transmit electrical EHF signal that iscommunicated to an antenna for transmission. When the transceiver isfunctioning in a receive mode, an EHF signal received by an antenna andconverted to an electrical signal for input to a demodulator forproducing a baseband signal. The communication system disclosed uses amodulated EHF carrier to couple signals across an air or dielectricmedium. A very high data rate may be realized using this technique.

Transferring Data Between Electronic Devices

FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C illustrate of an exemplary data transfer system 100,and some steps which may be implemented to effect a method oftransferring data between two (or more) electronic devices (“devices”).Data may be transferred in at least one direction, from a first device102 which may be regarded as a source for sending the data to betransferred, and second device 104 which may be regarded as adestination for receiving the data which is transferred.

In the main hereinafter, the transfer of data from the first device 102to the second device 104 will be described. Generally, the first device102 initiates the data transfer after detecting the second device 104,and the second device 104 may notify the first device 102 that it isready to receive the data transfer. The second device 104 may alsonotify the first device 102 of successful receipt of the data beingtransferred. Data may alternatively or additionally be transferred fromthe second device 104 (acting as a source for sending the data) to thefirst device 102 (acting as a destination for receiving the data).

The first device 102 may comprise a host system (or portion) 106 and acommunication subsystem (or portion) 108. The host system 106 maycommunicate with the communication subsystem 108 over a signal line (orbus) 110.

The host system 106 may comprise a processor 112 such as SOC (system onchip), and a “primary” storage 114 such as DRAM or flash memory.

The communication subsystem 108 may comprise a microcontroller (μC) 116,and an “exchange” storage 118 such as DRAM or flash memory. Thecommunication subsystem 108 further comprises at least one of atransmitter (Tx) or a receiver (Rx), or at least one transceiver (Tx/Rx)120.

The host processor 112 may function as the communication subsystemmicrocontroller (μC) 116, The primary storage 114 and the exchangestorage 118 may be different portions of one storage medium, such asDRAM or flash memory.

The second device 104 may comprise a host system (or portion) 126 and acommunication subsystem (or portion) 128. The host system 126 maycommunicate with the communication subsystem 128 over a signal line (orbus) 130.

The host system 126 may comprise a processor 132 such as SOC (system onchip), and a “primary” storage 134 such as DRAM or flash memory.

The communication subsystem 128 may comprise a microcontroller (μC) 136,and an “exchange” storage 138 such as DRAM or flash memory. Thecommunication subsystem 128 further comprises at least one of atransmitter (Tx) or a receiver (Rx), or at least one transceiver (Tx/Rx)140.

The host processor 132 may function as the communication subsystemmicrocontroller (μC) 136. The primary storage 134 and the exchangestorage 138 may be different portions of one storage medium, such asDRAM or flash memory.

The transceivers 120 and 140 are examples of means for communicating EHFsignals contactlessly between the first device 102 and the second device104, respectively and for converting between EHF signals and digitalelectrical signals. The transceivers 120, 140 may each be a half-duplextransceiver which can asynchronously convert a baseband signal into amodulated EHF (extremely high frequency) carrier at 30-300 GHz, orhigher, such as 60 GHz carrier frequency, which is radiated from aninternal or external antenna (not shown), or can receive and demodulatethe carrier and reproduce the original baseband signal.

RF energy output by communication subsystems 108 and 128 may be belowFCC requirements for certification or for transmitting an identification(ID) code which would otherwise interrupt data flow during the datatransfer. Reference is made to 47 CFR §15.255 (Operation within the band57-64 GHz), incorporated by reference herein.

The transceivers 120 and 140 may be implemented as IC chips comprising atransmitter (Tx), a receiver (Rx) and related components. Thetransceiver chip(s) may be packaged in a conventional manner, such as inBGA (ball grid array) format. The antenna may be integrated into thepackage, or may be external to the package, or may be incorporated ontothe chip itself (such as in the manner of U.S. Pat. No. 6,373,447).

Antennas associated with the transceivers are omitted, for illustrativeclarity (they are discussed in detail in the '829 and '244publications). An exemplary communication subsystem 108, 128 maycomprise one, two, or more transceiver chips.

It should be understood that if only one-way communication is required,such as from the source device 102 to the destination device 104, thetransceiver 120 could be replaced by a transmitter (Tx) and thetransceiver 140 could be replace by a receiver (Rx).

Transmit power and receive sensitivity for the transceivers 120 and 140may be controlled to minimize EMI (electromagnetic interference) effectsand simplify FCC certification. The EHF carrier may penetrate a widevariety of commonly-used non-conductive materials (glass, plastic,etc.). Some features or characteristics of the transceivers 120, 140 mayinclude:

-   -   Low latency signal path    -   Multi-Gigabit data rates    -   Link detection and link training

The signals transmitted by the transceivers 120 and 140 may be modulatedin any suitable manner to convey the data being transferred from onedevice to the other device, some non-limiting examples of which arepresented herein. Modulation may be OOK (on/off keying) or other similarsimple modulation techniques. Signals may be encoded and packetized andtransmitted by one transceiver (such as 120), and received andunpacketized and decoded by another transceiver (such as 140).Out-of-band (OOB) signaling or other suitable techniques may be used toconvey information other than or related to the data being transferredbetween the two devices.

FIG. 1A illustrates that, in preparation for a data transfer session,the first (sending, source) device 102 may pre-load data stored in itsprimary storage 114 into the exchange storage 118 of its communicationsubsystem 108. This is illustrated by the dashed-line arrow extendingfrom the primary storage 114 to the exchange storage 118, and may occurin advance of any communication session so that the data is ready to betransferred “at a moment's notice”. Alternatively, moving data from theprimary storage 114 to the exchange storage 118 may occur after apartner device (104) is detected and a data transfer session is about tobegin. The exchange storage 118 may be a partitioned part of the primarystorage 114.

FIG. 1B illustrates the first device 102 (which is nominally thesource/sending partner or device) device 102 having been brought into inproximity with the second device 104 (which is nominally thedestination/receiving partner or device). The proximity of the seconddevice 104 with the first device 102 may be detected, by any suitablemeans, some of which have been described hereinabove, others of whichare described hereinbelow. Then, the data may be transferred from thefirst device 102 to the second device 104. More particularly, datastored in the exchange storage 118 of the communication subsystem 108 ofthe source device 102 may be transferred to the exchange storage 138 ofthe communication subsystem 128 of the destination device 104, asindicated by the dashed-line arrow extending between the exchangestorages 118 and 138. In the main, hereinafter, data flow from thedevice 102 to the device 104 may be described, as representative of dataflow in either direction (i.e., including data flow from the device 104to the device 102).

Data transfer between the two electronic devices 102, 104 may beimplemented over a “contactless” radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic(EM) communications link (interface) 150, which is handled substantiallyentirely by the communication subsystems 108, 128 of the first andsecond devices 102, 104, respectively. Signals flowing between thedevices 102 and 104 occurs electromagnetically over a non-electrical(dielectric) medium such as an air gap, waveguide, plastics(polyethylene, thermoplastic polymers, polyvinylidene difluoride,fluoropolymers, ABS, and other plastics), including combinations ofthese materials The EHF signal can pass through other dielectricmaterials such as cardboard. The EHF signal can pass through a series ofdifferent dielectric materials and/or waveguides.

Due to the high data rate enabled by the EHF contactless communication,large data files, such as movies, audio, device images, operatingsystems, and the like may be transferred in very short periods of timein contrast with existing technologies such as NFC. As an example, a 1Gigabyte data file may be transferred in as little as 5 seconds.

The electromagnetic communication may typically be over an air gap maybe limited to a short range, such as 0-5 cm. A dielectric medium such asa dielectric coupler 370, described in greater detail hereinbelow, maybe used to extend the range of the contactless link between the devices102 and 104 to several centimeters (cm), meters, or more.

It should be understood that in this, and any other embodiments ofcontactless links discussed herein, an overall communications system maybe implemented as a combination of contactless and physical links.Furthermore, some of the techniques described herein may be applied totransferring data over a physical link, such as a cable and connectors.In the main, hereinafter, the use of a contactless link for transferringdata between the two devices will be described.

FIG. 1C illustrates that, after completion of the data transfer session,the second (receiving, destination) device 104 no longer needs to be inproximity with the first (sending, source) device 102, and may move thetransferred data stored in its exchange storage 138 of its communicationsubsystem 128 into its primary storage 134. This is illustrated by thedashed-line arrow extending from the exchange storage 138 to the primarystorage 134, and may occur at any time after completion of the datatransfer. The receiving device 104 may verify the data which has beenreceived, may alert its host processor 132 that the data has beenreceived (alternatively the host processor 132 may perform theverification), and may send a signal back to the sending device 102 thatthe data has successfully been transferred. The exchange storage 138 maybe a partitioned part of the primary storage 134.

In an exemplary use scenario, data to be transferred from a sendingdevice 102 may be stored in the primary storage 114 of the sendingdevice 102, and the host system 106 (or processor 112) of the sendingdevice 102 may be OFF (powered down or in a low power state). Thecommunication subsystem 108 of the sending device 102 may be ON, andwhen a receiving device 104 is detected, the host system 106 (orprocessor 112) of the sending device 102 may be turned ON to move thedata to be transferred from the primary storage 114 to the exchangestorage 118 of the sending device 102. This movement of data to betransferred from the primary storage 114 to the exchange storage 118 mayonly need to be done once, then updated as may be required, such asincrementally. Or, it can be done every time data is being transferredfrom the sending device 102 to the receiving device 104. In some cases,different data packages may be transferred by the sending device 102 toa given one of or various different receiving device(s) 104, in whichcase only the selected data package need be moved to the exchangestorage 118 for the data transfer. In some cases, the data may not bemoved from the primary storage 114 to the exchange storage 118 on thesending device 102 and the data may be transferred directly to thereceiving device 104 from the primary storage 114. In some cases, thesending or receiving devices 102 and 104 may not have any exchangestorages 118 and 138, respectively, all storage being performed by theprimary storages 114 and 134, respectively.

In cases where data will be transferred in one direction only, from thesending device 102 to the receiving device 104, the exchange storage 118may be eliminated. It may be beneficial, however, that the sendingdevice 102 architecture mirror that of the receiving device 104, andinclude the exchange storage 118, for cases where the sending device 102receives data from the receiving device 104.

When the communication subsystem 108 of the sending device detects areceiving device 104, a link may be established between the sendingdevice 102 and the receiving device 104 and the transfer of data fromthe sending device 102 to the receiving device 104 may be initiated. Thehost system 126 (or processor 132) of the receiving device may be OFF(powered down or in a low power state), and the communication subsystem128 of the receiving device 104 may be ON or in a low-power state andcircuitry for detecting a connection may be periodically enabled. Thedata which is received by the communication subsystem 128 of thereceiving device may be stored in the exchange storage 138 of thereceiving device 104. The communication subsystem 128 may verify thedata, and may alert the host system 126 (or processor 132) that the datahas been received, and the host system 126 (or processor 132) may verifythe transferred data. The communication subsystem 128 of the receivingdevice 104 may also alert the sending device 102, via its communicationsubsystem 108, that the data has successfully been received.

Data in the exchange storages 108 and 138 of the sending and receivingdevices 102 and 104, respectively, may be firewalled, to protect thehost systems 106 and 126 from malicious code in the data beingtransferred. When the receiving device 104 is turned ON, data from its“exchange” storage 138 may be moved (or copied) to its primary storage134. Data may be also transferred in a similar manner from the receivingdevice 104 to the sending device 102.

Link Discovery

The process of the first device 102 (notably its communication subsystem108) detecting the second device 104 (notably its communicationsubsystems 128) and establishing the contactless link 150 may bereferred to generally as “link discovery”.

In point-to-point wireless (contactless) systems, it is necessary todetermine when to initiate a link between two devices. In traditionalconnector-based systems, the link establishment can be determined basedon measuring some electrical characteristics that change when aconnector is plugged in and a link between two devices may beestablished. In a point-to-point contactless system, an electricaldetection method may not be possible.

The transceivers 120, 140 may be enabled to detect a link partner whiledissipating minimal power. Link discovery may be implemented by thesending device 102 (more particularly, the transmitter Tx portion of thetransceiver 120) transmitting a beacon signal, periodically, for a shortduration of time, instead of being enabled continuously. Likewise, thereceiving device 104 (more particularly, the receiver Rx portion of thetransceiver 140) may be enabled to listen for the beacon, periodically,for a short duration of time, instead of being enabled continuously. Aratio of the transmit and receive durations of time can be establishedto ensure periodic overlap—i.e., that the receiver will be activated todetect the beacon within a reasonable number of periods. If atransmitter beacon is within an appropriate range to establish a link,the transmitter's beacon will be picked up by an active receiver. Thisperiodic beaconing and listening approach allows for conservation ofpower (and extended battery life).

Some techniques for link detection, including beaconing and enumeration,and switching from reduced-power to full-power operation, are disclosedin the aforementioned U.S. 61/799,510 filed 15 Mar. 2013, incorporatedby reference herein.

Electrostatic Shielding

Because they are communicating with one another strictly by RF,contactlessly, a given device 102 or 104 (or both) may (each) beenclosed in a non-conducting barrier (housing, enclosure, or the like,not shown), such as of plastic or acrylic. Electromagnetic (EM)radiation may pass easily through the barrier, but electrical currentcannot pass easily through the barrier. The barrier can thereforeisolate circuit board and fragile chips from ESD (electrostaticdischarge). The barrier may also hermetically seal the device(s). Thebarrier may additionally provide a benefit to device(s) such as cellphones, for example protecting them from moisture and humidity. Theelectromagnetic interface (EM) techniques disclosed herein maycompletely eliminate the need for any mechanical connectors (other than,perhaps a jack for recharging an internal battery) or other openings inthe device.

Method(s) of Operation

The technique(s) presented herein solve(s) the problem of transmittingdata between two (or more) electronic devices—one of which may beconsidered to be a sending device, the other of which may be consideredto be a receiving device—without intervention by one or both of thedevices' host processor(s) by providing one or both of the electronicdevices with a communication (I/O) subsystem that can detect and set upa communication link (such as a contactless link) with the other device,control the transfer of data from the sending device to the receivingdevice without intervention from the host processor(s) in one or both ofthe devices, and that can maintain or direct the data to be transferredor being received in a secure area of the device's memory or aphysically separate memory (“exchange storage”) which may be isolated(such as firewalled) from the device's main memory (“primary storage”).This provides protection against malicious code in the data beingtransferred, and also allows a device to participate in thecommunication session without its main processor being turned ON.

The communication subsystem of the receiving device then may validatethe data transfer (transaction) itself or notify the host processor inthe receiving that the data has been transferred into the exchangestorage. In the latter case, the host processor of the receiving devicethen may validate the transaction and transfer the data from theexchange storage to the primary storage.

In one example of data which is transferred, the primary storage maycomprise a user area of memory, and the user may then have access to thedata which has been transferred, for example a media file (such aspictures, video, music, etc.).

In another example, the data being transferred may be an operatingsystem (OS) update or code update to the operating system of thereceiving device, or other critical code. Once the data has beentransferred into the exchange storage, the data may then be validated bythe communication subsystem itself or other secure portion of thereceiving device. Once validated, the transferred data may be movedsecurely from the exchange storage to the device's primary storage, toreplace or update the OS or other critical code in the system. In thismanner, the data being transferred may be able to update the systemwhile the host processor is OFF (powered down) or in a low power state.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a generalized exemplary overall method 200 oftransferring data between two electronic devices—one of which may beconsidered to be a sending (source) device, the other of which may beconsidered to be a receiving (destination) device—presenting some of theconcepts discussed and described above. A high-speed contactless linkmay be established between communication I/O subsystems of the deviceswhich may operate without intervention from the host processors of thedevices, and the data may be stored in a secure area of memory(“exchange storage”) of the receiving device, and optionally also in anexchange storage of the sending device. The method 200 may be describedin a number of steps. In some cases, steps which are described areoptional, and can be omitted. In other cases, the order in which thesteps are presented may be changed.

In a first step 202, the source device (102) may identify the data to betransferred. Recall that either of two devices which will be involved ina data transfer may be considered to be the source (or sending) device(102) with the other device being considered to be the destination (orreceiving) device (104), and that communication may occur in bothdirections between the devices rather than only in one direction. Hence,for example, although in this step, it is stated that the source device(102) identifies data to be transmitted, at some point during thecommunication session, including before initiating the communicationsession, the destination device (104) may also identify data that willbe transferred to the source device (102).

In a next step 204, the source device (102) may transmit a beacon signalto enable discovering a destination device (104).

In a next step 206, the destination device (104) detects the beaconsignal and may optionally respond thereto, such as by turning on its ownbeacon.

In a next step 208, the contactless link (150) is set up by the sourcedevice (102) and the destination device (104). This setup process occursvery quickly, and the data transfer session is ready to commence.Typically, only one destination device (104) will be involved with asingle source device (104), but the possibility of having one sourcedevice (102) transmitting (transferring) data to more than onedestination device (104), in a “broadcast” mode, using index markers inthe data stream, is discussed below.

In a next step 210, data is transferred from the source device (102) tothe destination device (104). The data transfer may be initiated eitherautomatically (based on link detection) or upon request (such as thedestination device's microcontroller 136 or host processor 132indicating that it is ready for the data transfer to commence, or toresume a previous data transfer which was interrupted). Optionally,other data may also be transferred from the destination device (104) tothe source device (102), automatically or on request.

The source device (102) may start sending data when a destination deviceis detected and a communication link is established. Or, the sourcedevice may send data continuously, in a “broadcast” mode to be receivedby one or more destination devices (104). In either case (sending ondemand or continuously), the source device (102) may embed index markersin a data stream such as at the beginning of the data stream, at anumber of intermediate points (such as at pre-determined intervals orother milestones) in the data stream, and at the end of the data stream.In this manner, the destination device (104) can ascertain if it hasstarted receiving data at the beginning of a data stream and, if not, atwhat part of the data stream it has commenced receiving the data, whenthe data transfer is complete. In this manner, if the destination device(104) has started receiving a data stream at an intermediate point, ithas the option of accepting (commencing receiving and storing) thetransfer of only a latter portion of the data stream (partial filetransfer), then receiving a beginning portion of the data stream whenthe source device (102) loops (restarts) the entire transmission,thereafter receiving the missing beginning portion of the data stream.Or, the destination device (104) may accept only the partial filetransfer, without further action. This approach allows for fully passive(receive-only) transmission of data, such as may be useful for kioskingdata to anonymous devices.

Another technique which may be implemented during the transmission(transfer) of data from the source device (102) to the destinationdevice (104), which may involve transmission in the reverse direction(as suggested above) may include the source device (102) pausing(skipping) transmission of a data stream at periodic intervals, andallowing the destination device (104) to transmit “skip fills” (data)back to the source device during the skipped periods. The “skip fills”by the destination device (104) may be an on-the-fly encryption codegenerated and transmitted by the destination device (104) that thesource device (102) receives and uses to scramble the data beingtransferred (transmitted), or can allow for masking the transmissionwith random (or watermarked) data transmitted by the destination device(104). In the case of “snooping” (unauthorized devices intercepting thedata transfer), these methods may render the snooped transmissions verydifficult to crack (decode), as the snooping device would not readily beable to ascertain which of the source or destination devices istransmitting at any given moment—the intercepted alternatingtransmissions by both source and destination devices may appear to thesnooping device to be one contiguous, undecipherable transmission.

Further security (against snooping) for full-duplex transmission(transfer) of data between devices (102, 104) may be provided by causingboth devices to transmit concurrently during a data transfer. The devicewhich is nominally the receiving device can transmit random signals,decryption codes, or other data, which may obscure the transmission ofdata from the device which is nominally the sending device. One or bothtransmitting device(s) may implement spread spectrum clocking (SSC)which may further hinder snooping.

In a next step 212, the destination device (104) may notify the sourcedevice (102) that the data transfer has been successfully received. Ifthe “success” notification is not received by the source device (102),or if a “fail” notification is sent by the destination device (104), thesource device (102) may re-send the data, or portions thereof.Optionally, upon completion of the data transfer, the host processor(132) of the destination device may also be notified.

The data which is received may first be stored in exchange storage (138)of the receiving device (104), and may subsequently be moved to theprimary storage (134) of the destination device (104). Or, the datawhich is received may be remain in the exchange storage (138) withoutbeing moved to the primary storage (134). The data which is received maybe validated, either by the communication subsystem (128) or by the hostsystem (126). Or, the data which is received may be used “as is”,without validation.

The transmitters (Tx) and receivers (Rx), or transceivers (Tx/Rx) 120and 140, which may be implemented as chips, may be factory-serialized,so that the chips and their transmissions may be ‘tagged’(fingerprinted), which may enable a later forensic analysis to beperformed for digital rights management (DRM). For example, protected(premium) content could be freely (unimpeded) transferred from onedevice to another, but the transaction could be traced to the specificdevices involved, so that the participants in the transaction can beheld accountable (such as, billed).

Some Exemplary Deployments

Some exemplary use scenarios (deployments) for the data techniquesdisclosed herein will now be described, generally in the context of onlytwo electronic devices—one of which may be considered to be a sending(source) device, the other of which may be considered to be a receiving(destination) device, generally as described above. A single sourcedevice (102) may transmit (transfer) data to a plurality of destinationdevices (104), either one at a time or many at once. And, in addition tothe source device transmitting data to the destination device(s), thedestination device(s) can transmit data to the source device.

In the deployments described herein, or in other deployments which arenot specifically described herein, one or more of the followingfeatures, and the like, and extensions thereof may be realized:

-   -   the data transfer (“contactless programming”) may occur at high        speed. The host processor(s) in the destination device(s) being        programmed may be OFF, or in a low power mode (“asleep”)    -   the data which is transferred may be validated by connection    -   the data which is transferred may be stored in secure (exchange)        memory    -   destination device(s) can be tested and their status(es) read    -   OEM specific code may be loaded into the destination device(s)    -   applications and content may be loaded into the destination        device(s)    -   the source device(s) may or may not already be in packaging        (such as sealed boxes)    -   there could be different versions of software/OS for different        customers or different vendors

In an exemplary scenario (“Factory Programming”), a first device (102),such as a mobile handset, which is considered to be the receiving(destination) device for the data being transferred, is programmed atthe factory, by a second device such as a factory programming device(“programmer”), which is considered to be the sending (source) device.By utilizing a contactless link, as described above, no physicalconnections are required between the device to be programmed and thedevice (“factory programmer”) transferring the data, such as by placingthe device to be programmed on a landing pad (or dock) associated withthe factory programmer. This can greatly simplify the data transferprocess, and increase throughput.

For example, the data being transferred from the sending device to thereceiving device may comprise an operating system (OS) or firmware forthe receiving device. Alternatively, or additionally, during factoryprogramming, the second device may be tested, and its status read by theprogrammer, providing a level of quality assurance (QA) at themanufacturing stage.

In another exemplary scenario (“Warehouse Programming”), featuressimilar to Factory Programming may be implemented. For example, awarehouse having a large inventory of mobile phones may accept ordersfrom customers and personalize the products for the ordering party (suchas a given cell phone provider), via contactless communication and datatransfer, without opening the box in which the product is packaged. Thiscould apply, as well to online vendors (or the like) who can acceptorders from individual end-users, and pre-load the product withpersonalized items (operating system, software applications, and thelike), again contactlessly, without requiring opening the box. Qualityassurance (QA), and some of the other features described above may beimplanted during Warehouse Programming.

The Factory Programming and Warehouse Programming scenarios areexemplary of situations where “generic” devices are in a box that shouldremain unopened, yet may be personalized for a given vendor or serviceprovider, or with end-user preferences, including loading features onthe device, customizing the devices' content, loading premium items onthe device, setting permissions on the device, installing DRM keys onthe device, setting country codes in the device, and the like, some ofwhich personalization features may additionally or alternatively beperformed at a point of sale (POS) vendor. Using the techniquesdisclosed herein, the data transfer can occur very quickly, and the hostprocessor may be OFF (or in a low power state), both of which willresult in very low power required for the transfer and consequent smallamount of drain of the device's batteries (if any). (In somedeployments, power for the destination device may be obtained byharvesting power from an external source.)

In another exemplary scenario (“Point of Sale Programming”), featuressimilar to Warehouse Programming may be implemented. More specifically,retailer or OEM specific content or applications (personalized content,purchased along with the device) could be loaded into the device. (Whilethe device may be unboxed at the point of sale, the contactlessprogramming may nevertheless be highly beneficial.) The device beingsold to a customer can personalized for the given customer and can begiven a final (QA) check to activate the warranty. Typically, but notnecessarily, in Point of Sale (POS) programming, the item is unboxed.Contactless data transfer eliminates the need to un-box the item.

In another exemplary scenario (“Kiosking”), devices which are alreadysold an in possession of an end user may receive data transfers fromkiosks functioning as source devices for the data transfer. For example,content vending machines may transfer data selected by users to theusers' devices (typically for a fee). Free content may also bedistributed in this manner, such as “bonus” content associated with anevent attended by the user, such as at movie theatres, by incorporatinga source device into a movie poster or the like. Unlike QR (QuickResponse) code applications which may require an Internet connection toobtain the actual content, Code), the contactless transfer of datadescribed herein is complete in and of itself. The content is containedin the interaction between the two devices.

In another exemplary scenario (“user-machine interface”), access andpermissions may be communicated between a use and a system. For example,a “generic” (shared) computer may be personalized (configured) for useby a user. A vehicle being shared by various users may be personalized(seat position, speed limits, etc.) by a user.

In the scenarios discussed above—Factory Programming, WarehouseProgramming, Point of Sale Programming, Kiosking—it is generally the endproduct (such as a user's mobile handset) that is being modified(personalized) by the contactless communication (transfer of data). Incontrast therewith, in the user-machine interface scenario, it is thesystem (shared computer, shared car, etc.) that is being modified by thecontactless communication (transfer of data). Using contactlesscommunication for digital checkout of an item (such as from a library,or from a rental agency) may broadly be considered to fall into thiscategory of user modifying system.

In another exemplary scenario (“Sharing Data Between Two Devices”), datamay be downloaded from one device to another, such as from a user'sdigital camera to the user's laptop computer, or from one user's mobilehandset to another user's mobile handset. In this “file sharing”scenario, both devices may typically become “modified” as a result ofthe contactless transaction, in an interactive session between the usersof two (or more) devices. In contrast with existing techniques forsharing data between two devices (such as NFC), using the techniquesdisclosed herein content which is large files (such as movies) mayreadily be directly transferred between two devices in a very shortperiod of time.

Sometimes the content (data) being transferred may be DRM protecteddata, and a key may be required to access the content. As mentionedabove, content may be stored in a secure (exchange storage) area, may bechecked for malicious code, and may accessed from the exchange storagethen discarded, or moved to permanent (primary) storage for later (andrepeated) access thereto. These are just some examples of how data canbe transferred, at various stages in the life of a product (frommanufacturer to consumer), and some of the use scenarios that may beimplemented using the techniques described herein.

Dielectric Couplers

In the scenarios described above, it is more-or-less presumed that thecommunication subsystems of the two devices (and their respectiveantennae, if any) can be brought into close proximity with one anotherto initiate and sustain the contactless link for transferring data,which may be the case in many, if not most contemplated use scenarios.This may include Factory Programming, Warehouse Programming, or thelike, where the product being programmed is “factory sealed” within a(typically cardboard) box. In some other scenarios, close proximity ofthe communications subsystems (and their respective antennae) may not befeasible. Some of these scenarios will now be described.

To simplify the descriptions of these scenarios (300A, 300B, 300C,collectively referred to as “300”), communication in one direction onlymay be described, with a first device (302A, 302B, 302C, collectivelyreferred to as “302”) having only a transmitter (Tx; 320A, 320B, 320C,collectively referred to as “320”), and a second device (304A, 304B,304C, collectively referred to as “304”) having only a receiver (Rx;340A, 340B, 340C, collectively referred to as “340”). It should beunderstood that communication between the devices may occur in bothdirections (some examples of which have been described hereinabove) andthat the devices (302, 304) may each be provided with one or moretransceivers (Tx/Rx; 120, 140).

FIG. 3A illustrates a scenario 300A wherein a device 304A which may beconsidered to be a destination (receiving) device is enclosed inpackaging such as a cardboard box 360, and its operative components aredisposed at what may be an “excessive” distance from the externalsurface of the box which is not conducive to establishing theaforementioned EHF contactless link (150) with a device 302A which maybe considered to be a source (sending device) which is external to thebox 360. This may be due to shock absorbing packing material (shown asdashed cross-hatch lines within the box), and the like, surrounding thedevice 304A.

In this scenario 300A, it may be necessary or beneficial to transferdata from the device 302A to the device 304A, without opening the box360. This situation has been described above, such as at the factory, orat a warehouse, or at POS. To facilitate establishing the contactlesslink (150) for transferring data, a dielectric coupler 370A, such as inthe form of a short rod, or plug may be incorporated into or extendthrough the packing material within the box, establishing a link betweenthe device 304B and an interior surface of the box 360, which remainsclosed and sealed. In this manner, a left (as viewed) side or end of thecoupler 370A can be in close proximity with the transmitter (Tx) 320A ofthe device 302A, and the right (as viewed) side or end of the coupler370A may be in close proximity with the receiver (Rx) 340A of the device304A. The coupler 370A provides means for reducing the effectivedistance between transmitter (Tx) 320A and the receiver (Rx) 340A tofacilitate the contactless link between the two devices. Rather thanhaving a separate and distinct dielectric coupler, it is possible thatthe packing material itself be manufactured from materials and withproperties and structure that allow it to act as the dielectric coupler.

FIG. 3B illustrates a scenario 300B wherein the receiver 340B of thedevice 304B is disposed at an “excessive” distance from the externalsurface of the device 304B which is not conducive to establishing theaforementioned EHF contactless link (150) with a device 302A.

In this scenario 300B, it may be necessary or beneficial to transferdata from the device 302B to the device 304B, without opening up thedevice 304B. This situation may occur, for example, when the device(304) is in a protective container, such as an underwater camera.

To facilitate establishing the contactless link (150) for transferringdata, a dielectric coupler 370B, such as in the form of an elongated rod(“probe”) extends from the device 302B. The device 304B is provided witha recess 305 in one of its outer surfaces to allow the right (as viewed)end of the coupler to be in close proximity with the receiver (Rx) 340Bof the device 304B. The left (as viewed) end of the coupler 370B can bein close proximity with the transmitter (Tx) 320B of the device 302B.The coupler 370B provides means for reducing the effective distancebetween transmitter (Tx) 320B and the receiver (Rx) 340B to facilitatethe contactless link between the two devices.

FIG. 3C illustrates another scenario 300C, wherein there is a barrier362 between the device 302C and 304B, which may for example be aconductive barrier substantially preventing establishing a contactlesslink (150) between the two devices 302C and 304C, even if they aresufficiently proximate each other to otherwise set up the contactlesslink.

In this scenario 300C, it may be necessary or beneficial to transferdata from the device 302C to the device 304C, while overcoming theimpediment of the barrier 362. The receiver 340C of the device 304C isnear its external surface, but access can only be established through ahole 363 in the barrier 362. This situation may occur, for example, whenreading utility meters which are enclosed in a protective barrier orotherwise not readily accessible.

To facilitate establishing the contactless link (150) for transferringdata, a dielectric coupler 370C, such as in the form of an elongated rodextends from the device 302C, in a manner which may be similar to thescenario 300B. The a left (as viewed) end of the coupler 370C can be inclose proximity with the transmitter (Tx) 320C of the device 302C. Theright (as viewed) end of the coupler 370C can pass through the hole 363in the barrier 362 so as to be disposed in close proximity with receiver(Rx) 340C of the device 304C, to facilitate the contactless link betweenthe two devices.

The concept of providing a dielectric coupler to extend the range of thecontactless link is described in the aforementioned U.S. 61/661,756 andU.S. Ser. No. 13/760,089. Generally, a dielectric coupler forfacilitating propagation of EHF-frequency signals may include anelongate strip of dielectric material (medium) such as plastic, glass,rubber or ceramic, and may have a rectangular cross section and twoends. Suitable plastic materials for the dielectric medium may include,but are not limited to, PE (polyethylene), acrylic, PVC(polyvinylchloride), ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene), and thelike. The dielectric coupler may include dielectric portions made ofplastic or other materials having a dielectric constant of at leastabout 2.0. Materials having higher dielectric constants may result inreduction of required dimensions due to a reduced wavelength of thesignal in that material. The dielectric material of the plastic cablethat may be at least partially coated in a layer having a low dielectricconstant or an electrically conductive layer to facilitate propagation,reduce interference, or to reduce the likelihood of shorting the signalbeing propagated down a long axis of the coupler. The dielectric mediummay function as a transmission medium (such as waveguide), and the EHFcarrier may propagate along a long axis of the dielectric medium,maintaining a single polarization direction. An outer surface of thedielectric medium may be coated or covered with a conductive material(metal) which may isolate the dielectric medium from externalinterference (and, optionally, and may serve as a conductive path forelectrical signals and/or power). Stacked or layered structures mayenable multiple signal paths.

Securing the Transmissions

The point-to-point contactless links described herein are inherentlysecure. Pausing (skipping) transmission of a data stream at periodicintervals, and allowing the destination device to transmit “skip fills”back to the source device during the skipped periods has been describedabove a “technical” approach to protecting against snooping. In someapplications, additional security against snooping may be desirable.

Some examples of means for providing “shielding” of the transmissions(which may be considered to be a “physical” approach) to prevent againstsnooping will now be described. Generally, a security enclosure, whichmay comprise dielectric, plastic or other passive materials, may bedisposed as a coating or layer, or as a housing around at least aportion of the data paths including the transceivers (Tx/Rx), thecontactless link, and dielectric coupler (if any), to protect the databeing transferred from being snooped. The contactless link (ortransmission path) may include a dielectric coupler. Although theenclosure may be generally transparent to electromagnetic radiation (theEHF signal can get through), signals passing therethrough may become“muddled” by the composition or structure of the enclosure, making anysignals received outside the disclosure unintelligible.

FIG. 4A illustrates a transceiver (Tx/Rx) 420A of one device 402Acommunicating over a dielectric coupler 470A with a transceiver (Tx/Rx)440A of another device 404A. The dielectric coupler 470A may be aplastic material selected for its ability to propagate EHF signals, asdiscussed above.

In this example, an enclosure 480A comprising a coating (or layer) ofmaterial disposed on (covering at least a portion of) the dielectriccoupler 470A may be provided. Generally, the material selected for theenclosure 480A may be different from the material selected for thedielectric coupler 470A. The “shielding” material of the enclosure 480Amay comprise dielectric, plastic or other passive materials, selectedfor their properties (or modified) of being able to degrade an EHFsignal emanating from the dielectric coupler and passing through thematerial by any suitable mechanism such as:

-   -   changing the polarization of a signal passing through the        enclosure 480A    -   superimposing two or more signals within the enclosure together        such that an outside observer would observe only the        superimposed signal    -   modifying a the coating to have different composition, different        thicknesses, various “imperfections”, irregular topography or        the like, which will degrade the intelligibility of a signal        passing through the enclosure    -   a coating of a metallic material may also be used for the        housing, or particles of metallic material may be embedded in        the housing, but their effect on the desired propagation of the        signal from device-to-device should be taken into account.

FIG. 4B illustrates a transceiver (Tx/Rx) 420B of one device 402Bcommunicating over a dielectric coupler 470B with a transceiver (Tx/Rx)440B of another device 404B. (This example is similar to the examplesshown in FIGS. 3B and 3C where probes 370B and 370C are associated withthe first device 302B and 302C, respectively.) The dielectric coupler470B may be a plastic material selected for its ability to propagate EHFsignals, as discussed above.

In this example, an enclosure 480B comprising a coating (or layer) ofmaterial covering at least a portion of the device 402B, such asdisposed at least around a portion of the transceiver (Tx/Rx) 420B isshown. Similarly, an enclosure 482B comprising a coating (or layer) ofmaterial covering at least a portion of the device 404B, such asdisposed at least around a portion of the transceiver (Tx/Rx) 440B isshown. Generally, the material selected for the enclosures 480B ad 482Bare, as described above, selected for their properties or modified todegrade any signal emanating from the dielectric coupler through thecoating.

As illustrated, a recess (or opening) 483 may be provided in theenclosure 482B for accepting a distal end of the dielectric coupler 470Bso that it may be in close proximity with the transceiver (Tx/Rx) 440B.(Compare recess 305 and hole 363 in FIGS. 3B and 3C, respectively.) Thedistal end of the dielectric coupler 470B and the recess 483 may bekeyed, or the like, to enforce inserting the dielectric coupler 470 in acertain orientation into the recess and/or to provide a releasablesnap-fit or the like between the two devices 402B and 404B.

FIG. 4C illustrates in a general manner some options for shielding atransmission path 470C such as an air gap or dielectric coupler.Generally, a housing (or layer, or coating) 480C may be disposed aroundat least a portion of, including substantially all of, the transmissionpath, to degrade any signal passing therethrough. The housing 480C isillustrated as comprising at least two different materials 481 and 483,having different sections with different thicknesses, an irregulartopography on at least one of the inner or outer surfaces thereof, maycomprise spiral wound bands of material (as indicated by the diagonaldashed lines), and the like, including any material or structuralproperty which may degrade an EHF signal passing therethrough.

Generally, inside the enclosure(s) described herein, the EHF signalsgenerated by and passing between the transceivers (Tx/Rx) may bedistinct, polarized, and distinguishable from one another. Outside theenclosure(s), the signals may be blended together, shifted in phase,altered in polarization, or the like, so that although a (snooping)device outside the enclosure may detect that there is a signal, thesignal would be so degraded or blended together that it would beindecipherable. This “physical” approach to protecting against snooping,in addition with “technical” approaches such as skip fills (describedabove), spread spectrum clocking (SSC), encryption/decryption and thelike, may provide enhanced security for data being transferred betweentwo devices.

Some Advantages

Some advantages and benefits of the techniques disclosed herein mayinclude, but are not limited to one or more of the following, includingvarious combinations thereof:

-   -   data transfers may be extremely fast and may not require host        interface for the data transfer    -   the host processor may be OFF or in a low power state during        transfers    -   data may be transferred from unknown (un-trusted, such as        lacking a security certificate) sources in a secure manner into        a host device without the host device security or OS being        compromised (the data may later be validated)    -   data to be transferred, or which has been transferred, may be        kept in a secure area of memory, away from critical code    -   OS/device updates may be performed while the host processor is        OFF or in a low power state    -   OS/device updates may be performed on an assembly line        contactlessly    -   OS/device updates may be performed while the device is inside        its packaging    -   OS/device updates may be performed at any stage in the supply        chain from factory to consumer, such as at the factory, at a        warehouse, at a store, at the time of purchase, when the product        is delivered, when the customer wants to update the product, at        a kiosk, etc.    -   user code/custom configuration may be loaded at the time of        purchase or product delivery    -   data transfer can be effected through dielectrics, cardboard,        packaging, etc.    -   providing “technical” and “physical” protection(s) against        snooping of data being transferred

The transfer of data between devices is very user-friendly, requiringlittle or no user interaction or direction to perform. Generally,proximity of the two devices may be all that is required to initiate andperform the data transfer.

While the invention(s) has been described with respect to a limitednumber of embodiments, these should not be construed as limitations onthe scope of the invention(s), but rather as examples of some of theembodiments. Those skilled in the art may envision other possiblevariations, modifications, and implementations that should also beconsidered to be within the scope of the invention(s), based on thedisclosure(s) set forth herein, and as may be claimed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of data transfer, the method comprising:while a host processor of a second device is in a powered-off orlow-power state, the second device performs: detecting a beacon sent bya first device; establishing an extremely high frequency (EHF)contactless link between the second device and the first device inresponse to detecting the beacon; receiving data from the first devicevia the contactless link; storing the data in an exchange storage of thesecond device, the exchange storage separate from a primary storage ofthe second device; powering up the host processor from the powered-offor low-power state to a powered-on state; validating, by the hostprocessor in the powered-on state, the data in the exchange storage; andtransferring the data from the exchange storage to the primary storageafter the data is validated.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: notifying the host processor upon completion of the datatransfer.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein: the data being transferredis selected from the group consisting of a media file, DRM protectedcontent, an OS update, customer specific code, OEM specific code, retailspecific code, a firmware image for the second device, user data, staticdata, encryption/decryption keys, and electronic funds transfer (EFT)data.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein: the second device is enclosedinside of packaging.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein: the contactlesscommunication between the first and second devices occurs through thepackaging.
 6. The method of claim 4, further comprising: providing adielectric coupler in the packaging to facilitate the contactless linkbetween the first and second devices.
 7. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: providing a dielectric coupler extending from at least oneof the first and second devices to facilitate the contactless linkbetween the first and second devices.
 8. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: at the first device, pausing transmission of the data streamat periodic intervals; and during the intervals, from the second devicetransmitting data to the first device.
 9. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: covering at least one of portions of the devices or atransmission path between the devices with a material selected for itsability to degrade an EHF signal passing through the material.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the contactless link is the only contactlesslink established between a first communication subsystem of the firstdevice and a second communication subsystem of the second device. 11.The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting an encryptioncode from the second device to the first device during a pause in thereceiving of the data from the first device.